Man, 2009 was a tough year. I’ve had some rough years this past decade, but 2009 really did its best to piss me off, and was creative about it. Running a company (a web company) didn’t make things much easier. Luckily, the intense focus on getting stuff done paid off for work, but was personally exhausting.
Some good things past
2009 certainly wasn’t all bad. There were plenty of good things. Vacation here in Holland with the kids and having my sister over to visit was fantastic, as was our week in Portugal (it was my first time there and I loved it.
I finally started understanding that doing some nice things for myself is a good thing, not selfish, and very necessary. I still didn’t do enough it, though. This website still needs a design. At least that design is coming along nicely.
If the worst problems in life are people problems, then the opposite is also true: the best moments are people moments. People who inspire, make you laugh, people you can have fun with. (Fun. Hmmm. Need more of that this year.)
There were some great people moments in 2009. Great personal, family moments, but also new contacts and friendships. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting, becoming friends with and even working with some of the finest minds in web development. People who inspire me and make me want to become better at what I do. You know who you are. And last but not least my team at Cinnamon; we spend almost every day together and despite ups and downs, we still worked hard to kick web ass for our clients.
I didn’t do a lot of speaking last year, but I was glad to be a part of the events where I did speak. I was honored to have been invited to speak about CSS3 layout at Fronteers in Amsterdam. Grip2009, the workshop event that Cinnamon and Eend hosted, was a success and a pleasure to do.
Some good things to come
There are so many cool things going on in web development right now, and so many things I’d like to do. That’s my problem, as those who know me well have witnessed: too many interests. Trying to whittle them down to something manageable is futile.
I won’t pretend I will have the time or inclination to do everything I want to do this year, but I’ll be happy to get any of them done. These are not New Year’s resolutions; I never finish those. These are simply some of the things I’d like to do, accomplish or work on this year (aside from the usual stuff like running a company and having a family):
- I’d like to evangelize CSS3 layout even more, through writing, screencasts and speaking engagements. As a matter of fact, I’m enjoying speaking and would like to do more of that as well.
- This website needs a design, badly.
- There are a couple of really cool projects I’m planning with really cool people which are still non-public. I’d like to work on these and make them known.
- I want to finish the book proposal I started more than five years ago.
- I’d like to start training martial arts again, so my body doesn’t always feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.
- Exotic vacations, become rich, have nice cars… oh, wait. Got carried away for a minute.
- Be as prolific and productive as Chris Heilmann. Or half. Or a third.
I could go on and on, but trust me, it would hog some serious bandwidth.
Most of all, I want to do what I love, to look on the bright side of things, to see possibilities, to enjoy my friends and family, to have some fun, and to do it all in good health.
I wish you the same.